The present invention relates to a solar energy collector for collecting heat from the rays of the sun. More specifically, the present invention relates to a solar energy collector apparatus mounted on insulating blocks having a wide sun-ray acceptance angle.
Heretofore, numerous solar collectors have been constructed to obtain and utilize the heat from sunlight. However, many of these solar collectors have been automatic in that they "track" the sun and therefore involve complicated and intricate structure as well as assembly and, thus, are very costly. Moreover, due to the greater number of parts and sensitivity thereof, they were susceptible to mistracking or breakdown.
Still other systems relate to the utilization of the rays of the sun over a matter of hours during a day, but are inefficient in collecting and transferring the energy from sunlight. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,039 to Falbel is inefficient since it has a low concentration ratio of the reflector to the absorber plate and the larger absorber plate permits high thermal loss from both sides. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,527 to Cheng et al relates to various reflector-absorber integral units as shown on the cover, as well as to various embodiments thereof as shown in FIGS. 13 through 19. Such a design permits heat loss to occur through the larger absorber fins. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,740 to Rabl, there is shown another integral reflector-absorber solar energy collector, which is very similar to that of Falbel, but which deliberately incorporates a seasonably variable concentration. Thus, this design will not maximize the collected solar energy.
Some solar energy collectors have utilized insulation in one form or another. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,128 to Schoenfelder, the pipe carrying the heated fluid is insulated. Of course, this principle of insulation is very old in that various heating pipes have been insulated for centuries. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,279 to Barak, the backside of the absorber is insulated to limit radiation loss from said backside. Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,366 to Lightfoot, the backside of a reflector is insulated to abate the conduction or radiation of heat towards the side and bottom walls of the housing supporting the reflector. However, the absorber of Lightfoot is not insulated and heat loss occurs from both sides.
However, none of these prior art patents suggests applicant's solar energy collector wherein the absorber is separated from the reflector, and yet closely attached thereto. Additionally, the prior art patents further fail to teach the use of a mounting block to insulate the absorber from the reflector, and yet attach and align the two with respect to one another. Applicant's solar energy collector further relates to a device which needs only to be adjusted a few times during the year, and yet effectively and efficiently gathers heat from the rays of the sun throughout a substantial portion of a day for a period of numerous days to even months.